I dont know what President Obamas schedule is looking like for today, but Im sure hell be making time to comment on the case of Shawn Tyson, the Florida teenager who was yesterday sentenced to life without parole for the cold-blooded murders of two young British men who were holidaying in the state.

Im sure the president will want to share his thoughts on the tragedy, because he takes such a keen interest, in his capacity as bridge-builder-and-healer-in-chief, in inter-racial altercations  and in particular fatal shootings to which theres an apparent racial element. And the racial element here is at least as much a factor as it was in the case of the Trayvon Martin shooting which has so exercised Mr. Obama, and probably more so.

Tyson was black, while his victims, James Cooper, 25, and James Kouzaris, 24, were white. The pair were gunned down after straying into Tysons predominantly black housing project, and while theres no shortage of black-on-black shootings in such areas, its hard to imagine that two black men with no gang affiliation walking through the same neighbourhood would have been as likely to be targeted.

As reported in the Fox News story linked above, friends of Cooper and Kouzaris who spoke at the trial said they were dissatisfied with the lack of support or condolences from the United States government, and from President Obama in particular.

But Im sure Mr. Obama will be swift to make amends, and will insert himself into this tragedy in a way that, according to the Washington Post, is at once deeply personal and completely universal, and avidly avoids taking sides in a political fight.

Im expecting Mr. Obama to say that he can only imagine what the parents of Cooper and Kouzaris have had to go through since Tyson executed their sons, after making them beg for their lives, last April.

Perhaps hell even say that the two young men could have been, if not his own sons, then perhaps his younger brothers. Theyre white, yes, but in every other respect they could have been his sons, or his brothers  and anyway, were all color blind these days when it comes to such matters arent we?

Or perhaps the president will take a more controversial line and, in the context of discussing the problem of gang-related violence in Americas black communities, deliver a compelling soundbite that will earn praise from Americas and the worlds media. Something like: If I had a son, hed look like Shawn Tyson.

Im confident that Mr. Obama will want to comment on this case. Because if he didnt, some observers might jump to the conclusion that the leader of the free world was little more than a shameless, race-baiting opportunist who was more interested in firing up one of his core constituencies head of Novembers election than in seeing justice done.

Good article well written with a great helping of Sarcasm. Bozo’s racism stands out every day in every way. What a putz. How they he** anyone was fooled enough by this guy to vote for him is a mystery to me and I have a very close friend who voted for the guy. I stopped talking to her until she finally admitted she was wrong and that Bozo is a total loser and she will never vote for him again. Still, I have to wonder, WTF was she thinking.

Im confident that Mr. Obama will want to comment on this case. Because if he didnt, some observers might jump to the conclusion that the leader of the free world was little more than a shameless, race-baiting opportunist who was more interested in firing up one of his core constituencies head of Novembers election than in seeing justice done.

There have been a number of cases like it; British tourists have been robbed and murdered with regularity, and the British press and public have certainly noticed, esp. as respects Florida.

To them I say, "try Padre Island instead!"

But as for justice, there's nothing anyone can say. We can't sentence these loser-killers fast enough, and now the black political community wants a "get out of jail free" card, on the basis of "disproportionate impact". (The refutation is simple: "Disproportionate bloodthirstiness and homicidal mania.")

Have to wonder what are the statistics for all foreign tourists who venture into crime-infested neighborhoods.

My nephew and a couple of his friends in their early 20’s were visiting from England and I warned them to stay away from cheap motels & low rent or industrial sections of large cities. After my warning they looked terrified. Sadly, one of them paid cash for his room in the evening and at the morning check out he had no receipt or proof of payment.

Certain areas in the US resemble Third World Tourist Traps. Not good for the economy or international diplomacy.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.